Stories from our journey

Over the past few years, much digital ink has been spilled about the pandemic and many blogs have begun with words to the effect of, "covid has changed everything." While it may even be becoming cliche to say it, it really is true, and we are only at the beginning of seeing how those changes will play out in our lives.

Have you ever heard of synesthesia? I hadn’t until I met a young man who had the remarkable experience of hearing music when he saw a color.

There is a poetry to good design, but good poetry doesn't start with a blank sheet of paper and every word in the English language. You can't write a poem by randomly flipping through your dictionary, dropping your finger on the page, and grabbing whatever words it falls on.

Think back in your life to special moments, holidays, birthdays, celebrations, reunions, moments of profound laughter, meaningful glimpses of your life. Most likely, the kitchen was somewhere nearby.

Look at any piece of fine impressionist art. From ten feet away, it’s a unified image that’s beautiful, flowing, seamless. Oftentimes the subject matter appears clearly, glowing in the softness of the painter’s use of what some consider to be broad brushstrokes. The point is, you see it clearly, simply, the unified image.

We know ourselves only in context. We can only know others in context too. We’ve spent a lot of valuable words on this idea of deeply knowing people. But then there’s the question of taking what we learn about ourselves and others and translating it into a framework for actually producing the structure. Bringing the dream into reality. What works well and what is the end result of this “style” of involvement?

Imagine, for a moment, what it might smell like to work on a ranch. Clean air, but also dust, the pollen from the groves of cedars and scrub oaks smells green, but makes your eyes water and you sneeze. At the end of the day, you’re tired.

One of the great dilemmas of hiring anyone to do anything for you is the controversy of translating that hazy dream, idea or epiphany that’s locked in your head to something tangible and real.

Over the years we’ve entered a few spaces in the ASID design competitions, both local and statewide. Annually, top interior design firms are selected for particular areas of accomplishment and in the past, we’ve had the good fortune to take home a couple of first place glass trophies for a master bedroom design and a commercial renovation.

We're still hard at work, bringing people’s reflections into their spaces. However, we’re all working remotely for now, just to stay safe!

Typically, designers can be a temperamental breed of person. While we’ve never identified ourselves as such, we can empathize. It is work that is filled with myriad details, complexities and unknowns. It’s easy to just drift into a “recipe” or trend just so you can catch your breath. That’s probably why so many designers get to be the way they are, not all, but some.